The impact of that control is evident in Tibetan culture, politics, economic activity, and religious practice.

But could also apply to the pre-1950 government, which wasn't the peace, love, and loving-kindness Buddhist commune it's always constructed to be by the Richard Gere school of Buddhism.

That said, I recognize the right for self-determination, although we really ought to pay more attention to Taiwan and to the linguistic, cultural, and human destruction going on there with less hubbub.

And, yes, Taiwan has pretty paintings and many quaint temples, so you can buy a t-shirt.

Guys, I'd love to hear what you've got to say about China. I was supposed to go there in July, but the plans fell through. Do tell, whiner and others...

I lived in China for a little over a year, in the cities of Wuhan and Qingdao, and have been visiting the country off and on since 1979, including Tibet and Xinjiang.

That CNN piece is actually pretty good, though a little overly focused on economics. It is fairly unbiased, unlike most western news stories about China, and shows both sides of the coin.

The simple fact is that most Chinese could care less about politics and religion and are more than happy with the way their government is running the country.

I am sick and tired of xenophobic postings bashing China by posters who have never lived in the country, let alone visited it, and only know what they have read off the internet or seen on some biased western news program.

Read the book River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze for good overview of what life is really like in China from a western perspective.

Or better yet, actually visit and spend some time in China before you cast judgement on it.

I am sick and tired of xenophobic postings bashing China by posters who have never lived in the country, let alone visited it, and only know what they have read off the internet or seen on some biased western news program.

It's the first time I have seen an exposure to human rights abuses described as "xenophobic." If you have some evidence that groups like Amnesty International are biased why not share it with us?

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Or better yet, actually visit and spend some time in China before you cast judgement on it.

If you have some evidence that Amnesty International has just made all of the stories about the plight of the Urghurs, and the Tibetans please share it with us. Maybe the Urghurs are living in another China that hasn't yet been discovered!

Many of those detained are reported to have been tortured, some with particularly cruel methods which, to Amnesty International¡¯s knowledge, are not being used elsewhere in the People¡¯s Republic of China. Political prisoners held in prisons or labour camps are reported to be frequently subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. Some have reportedly died of ill-treatment or neglect in detention.

Scores of Uighurs, many of them political prisoners, have been sentenced to death and executed in the past two years. Others, including women, are alleged to have been killed by the security forces in circumstances which appear to constitute extra-judicial executions.

Great wall of whiner is about half right, not everyone is out to commit crimes against humanity, but they sure do turn a blind eye to it.
And they have no voice when it comes to objecting to it, even if they didnt agree with it.
I lived in Changsha, Hunan Provance, and the 'humanity' i saw there was enough to make me generilize, come on Whiner, you live in China, dont be an idiot, you know exactly what goes on in that country.
You know, that we sign contracts promising that we dont talk about religion or politics, Taiwan or Tibet, you also see all the begger children that are maimed or burnt to make money for syndicates of beggers.
You also see the complete ignorance to whats going on in the country and the non protests made, unless it happens to be about Japan, then thats allowed.
I saw in my large school, posters out the front of the primary school, of Japanese soldiers beheading Chinese soldiers, so my little students can get nightmares of seeing a head all bloody and lying next to a torso, thats your human rights for you.
They dont give a sh*t about destroying the country, pollution is a huge problem, there are limited recycling projects running, the air pollution is suffocating, and theres only more and more cars being sought after, as it gets wealthier.
Theres provances that we arent allowed to visit unless we have a seperate visa, Their own popullation are not allowed free travel into Hong Kong, which is suppose to be part of China.
so a little generalization is afforded here, with this country